“…To formalize a Devonian area classification, that is a bioregionalization, and create a standardized frame for future Devonian studies, the interim bioregionalization (Fig. 1; Dowding and Ebach 2018) must be tested, its hierarchy established, and unstable units highlighted. Figure 1.The realms, regions, and provinces of the Early, Middle, and Late Devonian based upon the bioregionalization of Boucot et al (1969) and subsequent related revisions.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Maps modified by the authors. Base maps copyright Ron Blakey, Colorado Plateau Geosystems, Inc. (from Dowding and Ebach 2018: Fig. 1).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…These areas are organized within a hierarchy of subprovinces and provinces that represent local endemic centers encompassed by subregions, regions, and finally realms according to the International Code of Area Nomenclature (Ebach et al 2008; the code states that the names, such as realm and region, are not capitalized). Dowding and Ebach (2018) summarized 50 years of Devonian bioregionalization into three time slices (Early, Middle, and Late Devonian; Fig. 1).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…1). These areas, created as best-fit units to complete the bioregionalization of Boucot, are yet to be formally assessed or quantified (Dowding and Ebach 2018). Consequently, this study will provide insight into their validity and suggest whether they require revision or rediagnosis.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Consequently, this study will provide insight into their validity and suggest whether they require revision or rediagnosis. Figure 2.The ages of realms, regions, and provinces within the Devonian (based upon Boucot et al 1969 and related revisions, surmised in Dowding and Ebach 2018: Table 1). Designations were made following the International Code of Area Nomenclature (Ebach et al 2008) and involved synonymizing areas, balancing area opening and closure dates, and coalescing bioregionalizations from multiple taxa to create a robust bioregionalization for quantitative testing.…”
The work of Arthur J. Boucot (vale, 1924–2017) is foundational to Devonian biogeography. Cited more than 1000 times and mentioned in excess of 105,000 times, his classification of the Old World, Eastern Americas, and Malvinokaffric realms has become the framework for Devonian biogeographic and faunal studies. This study is the first to test and quantify the biotic area classification using the distributional data of trilobite, brachiopod, and fish taxa across the Lower, Middle, and Late Devonian. The biotic similarity analysis of 676 genera (ca. 30,000 occurrences) of late Silurian (Ludlow–Pridoli) and Devonian taxa represents the largest quantification of distributional data undertaken in Devonian biogeography. The temporal area approach (TAAp), applied here for the first time, failed to recover in the area phenogram many of the realms and regions used by Devonian biogeographers, excepting the Malvinokaffric realm, across the entirety of the Devonian. The Old World and Western Gondwana realms are found to be artificial and in need of revision. Without natural areas, bioregionalizations (area classifications) become unstable and unusable, resulting in authors creating further artificial regions and provinces. This study offers a better solution, namely, to identify artificial areas in existing area classifications using TAAp and biotic similarity analysis and revise them. Area classifications are modeled on taxonomic process (Wilson and Brown 1953; Starrett 1958) and the movement toward revision is necessary to break the cycle of reinvention of realms and regions within bioregionalization.
“…To formalize a Devonian area classification, that is a bioregionalization, and create a standardized frame for future Devonian studies, the interim bioregionalization (Fig. 1; Dowding and Ebach 2018) must be tested, its hierarchy established, and unstable units highlighted. Figure 1.The realms, regions, and provinces of the Early, Middle, and Late Devonian based upon the bioregionalization of Boucot et al (1969) and subsequent related revisions.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Maps modified by the authors. Base maps copyright Ron Blakey, Colorado Plateau Geosystems, Inc. (from Dowding and Ebach 2018: Fig. 1).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…These areas are organized within a hierarchy of subprovinces and provinces that represent local endemic centers encompassed by subregions, regions, and finally realms according to the International Code of Area Nomenclature (Ebach et al 2008; the code states that the names, such as realm and region, are not capitalized). Dowding and Ebach (2018) summarized 50 years of Devonian bioregionalization into three time slices (Early, Middle, and Late Devonian; Fig. 1).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…1). These areas, created as best-fit units to complete the bioregionalization of Boucot, are yet to be formally assessed or quantified (Dowding and Ebach 2018). Consequently, this study will provide insight into their validity and suggest whether they require revision or rediagnosis.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Consequently, this study will provide insight into their validity and suggest whether they require revision or rediagnosis. Figure 2.The ages of realms, regions, and provinces within the Devonian (based upon Boucot et al 1969 and related revisions, surmised in Dowding and Ebach 2018: Table 1). Designations were made following the International Code of Area Nomenclature (Ebach et al 2008) and involved synonymizing areas, balancing area opening and closure dates, and coalescing bioregionalizations from multiple taxa to create a robust bioregionalization for quantitative testing.…”
The work of Arthur J. Boucot (vale, 1924–2017) is foundational to Devonian biogeography. Cited more than 1000 times and mentioned in excess of 105,000 times, his classification of the Old World, Eastern Americas, and Malvinokaffric realms has become the framework for Devonian biogeographic and faunal studies. This study is the first to test and quantify the biotic area classification using the distributional data of trilobite, brachiopod, and fish taxa across the Lower, Middle, and Late Devonian. The biotic similarity analysis of 676 genera (ca. 30,000 occurrences) of late Silurian (Ludlow–Pridoli) and Devonian taxa represents the largest quantification of distributional data undertaken in Devonian biogeography. The temporal area approach (TAAp), applied here for the first time, failed to recover in the area phenogram many of the realms and regions used by Devonian biogeographers, excepting the Malvinokaffric realm, across the entirety of the Devonian. The Old World and Western Gondwana realms are found to be artificial and in need of revision. Without natural areas, bioregionalizations (area classifications) become unstable and unusable, resulting in authors creating further artificial regions and provinces. This study offers a better solution, namely, to identify artificial areas in existing area classifications using TAAp and biotic similarity analysis and revise them. Area classifications are modeled on taxonomic process (Wilson and Brown 1953; Starrett 1958) and the movement toward revision is necessary to break the cycle of reinvention of realms and regions within bioregionalization.
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